Forgiveness Comes
by Uno
Summary: Just a little sakuraino friendship oneshot


Almost every single person Ino had ever cared about was a ninja - her family, her friends, her past boyfriends, anyone she'd ever worked with. Her neighbors were ninjas. Even her grandparents had been ninjas, not that she remembered any of them. It was a hard life. With every phone call, every knock at the door, every envelope in the mail that didn't look like a bill, and every single time she was summoned to the hokage's tower out of the blue, she feared the worst. It was just part of life in Konoha. You found ways to cope. Ino, who would never admit to being anything but an atheist, had developed a prayer of sorts. It wasn't to god exactly, just to anyone who might happen to be listening. She said it in her head now, as she stumbled out of bed and staggered for the door.

_Please, please, don't let it be bad news._

Common sense tried to tell her that frantic thumping at 3:15 in the morning would never be good news, but Ino ignored it and the urge that came with that thought to just go back to bed and hide under the covers. Ninjas faced things head on, after all.

Ino had thought she was somewhat mentally prepared for this kind of thing, but when she flung open the door and found Sakura standing there with tears pouring down her face, she felt a rush of fear so extreme she had to fight the urge to vomit.

Ino's lover was on the same mission as Sakura's husband, after all.

Her oldest friend turned huge, tear-filled eyes to her, opened and shut her mouth a few times, and finally managed to force out some words.

'What if - what if he never comes back?'

Ino felt like throwing up again, but this time from relief. Sakura was six months pregnant, and a little bit prone to fits of paranoia.

_Ah,_ Ino thought. _It's just hormones again._

'What if he never comes back, and I'm left to raise this baby all alone?' Sakura continued on, totally oblivious to the fact that she'd just given Ino the fright of her life, or the way the other woman was now clutching at the doorframe for support.

'You know, being pregnant isn't easy! I vomit up half of what I eat, and I'm tired all the time - yesterday I fell asleep in a cafe! And then there's the birth. How can I do that by myself? And you know, just now I wanted ice cream. It's three am and I want strawberry ice-cream, and there's none in the freezer and it's the man's job to go out in the middle of the night and try and find if there's a store open that sells strawberry ice-cream, because that's what a man is supposed to do when his wife is having his baby! Because that's what you do when you love somebody!'

Sakura had yelled the last part. She had to pause for breath and Ino wondered how many of the neighbors she'd woken up.

Sakura looked a little unstable on her feet, and Ino reached out a hand to steady her.

'Well, life is never perfect.' She said. It was hard to know what else to say. It had been a long time since they were actually friends.

She shouldn't have bothered; Sakura drew breath and continued on as if Ino hadn't said anything at all.

'And do you know what the worst part is? I don't even know where he is! If I try to ask anyone, all I get is "It's classified" like I don't even have a right to know.'

'Sakura, that's just how - '

'Don't give me that! He's my husband! And I don't know where he is or what he's facing or when he's coming home. If he's coming home. And I'm pregnant and alone and scared.'

'Sa - '

'I'm not done yet!' She exploded, 'He didn't even have to accept this mission, you know. The Hokage knows about the baby! She gave him the option of just walking away! And that _stupid, selfish jerk_ chose to go anyway! He didn't want to let down his team. He chose them, and his stupid loyalty, over his family.'

Sakura seemed to be winding down now. Maybe she had finally reached her point.

'I need him here. But you know what the very worst thing of all is? I can't even blame him for it. I probably would have done the same.'

A pause. Then, 'Ino, I'm not coping very well.'

Ino heard what Sakura didn't say. It had really been a very long time since Sakura had actually asked her for help.

She wondered if she was allowed to talk now.

'Sakura...' She ventured. When the other didn't explode at her, Ino took it as a cue to continue on. 'He's with Naruto, ok? And Shikamaru, and Chouji too, right? You know them. They'd never let your husband die. Never.'

Sakura didn't try to argue with that one. The boys had always been like that. It was unfair, but that was just how they were. Ino needed her lover to come home, too, and there were people waiting for all of the others, but the fact of the matter was that Sakura was pregnant and so if they would protect anybody, it would be her husband, even if he didn't want it that way. It irked Ino, but wasn't something she could argue with. If put in their position, she would probably feel the same.

A shinobi would always have to make hard choices. The life of a ninja was anything but easy. That was probably why they always formed such strong friendships. A ninja had to find ways to cope.

That was probably why it hurt so much, when somebody threw that friendship away.

Ino thought for a long moment before she gathered Sakura in her arms for a hug. She though about long years of rivalry and distance and how she'd been maid of honor at the wedding but had learnt of Sakura's pregnancy from her mother. She thought of the first chuunin exam and change and how different the other woman looked with the swell in her tummy. Mostly, she thought of that girl she'd found crying alone in the park all those years ago, the one with the huge eyes and bigger forehead, back when Sakura needed her.

After the hug, Sakura stopped crying and started to look like herself again.

'Thanks' She mumbled, 'I needed to hear that.'

Ino smiled.

'Why don't you come in? I don't sleep well when my boyfriend's not home anyway. Let's have a cup of tea, and you can stay the night.'

Sakura didn't look sure. Well, it had been a long time, after all. 'I don't want to impose...' She said.

'Moron!' Ino chided, 'Like I could let you go home alone after hearing all that! Come on in, it's freezing out there. You really should be taking better care of yourself.'

Sakura continued to hesitate, but Ino could tell she only needed one more push. If she really minded about bothering Ino, why was she at her house after three in the morning anyway?

Ino suddenly remembered she had a secret weapon, and her smile turned sly.

'I have strawberry yogurt. It's almost the same thing.'

It was certainly close enough to convince Sakura, her face lighting up at the prospect. Grumbling, Ino tugged her into the house and the warmth and told her to take her shoes off, while she turned and softly shut the door on the night.

- End.

A/n. so, I'm not entirely sure what that was or why it demanded I write it but I hoped you enjoyed it. I honestly have no idea who Sakura's husband is, just put in anyone you'd like - Lee, Kakashi, Akamaru, whatever. Even Sasuke if you really must. Same goes for Ino. Review me!


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